


The Painter

by writergrump



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: AU, College AU, M/M, Mystery, but interesting in its own right, this is a really strange story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 08:35:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12955419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writergrump/pseuds/writergrump
Summary: You know the feeling when you see a person every day, yet when they disappear you can’t even remember their face? Dan gets invited to meet a person he forgot in middle school. It turns out this Arin Hanson is much deeper than he expected.





	1. Chapter 1

Dan remembered seeing him in class. **  
**

It was one of those funny things where you see a person every day, yet the minute they disappear, you feel like you notice but you really don’t. It’s like a painting was missing a background element or a song replaced a word–noticeable, but only if you really looked for it.

As it was, Dan was pretty used to his life. Going through school, seeing his parents and sister, spending time with his best friend Brian. It was all mundane, and since he was only twelve years old, he really didn’t think about things like the fragility of human existence.

He remembered walking into school one day to see everyone a bit quieter than usual. The teachers were somber and there was a dull ache echoing off the walls. It was like every person was mutually connected through an invisible pain.

Dan walked past a girl he faintly recognized crying, crumpled into a ball in front of her locker. He looked at her, then passed on. He didn’t know her. He felt bad for her, but just because she was crying didn’t mean Dan was sad.

It was just how things happened–or at least, that’s what we believe when we’re young.

In class, the teacher paused, eyes flickering to an empty seat near the front. Come to think of it, there were a few empty seats. Dan recalled someone usually sat in that empty desk the teacher kept looking at, but he couldn’t put a face there.

He shrugged it off. Perhaps that person was sick.

Later, Dan still couldn’t piece together the odd feeling. He asked Brian, but his friend could only tell him that something had happened to a boy in their class. He wasn’t sure what. Dan collected that information, but what could he do with it? He didn’t even know what happened.

As the days bled into weeks, Dan forgot. The empty desk up front became just another empty desk. The quiet mood that had settled over his classmates dissipated. Life carried on for middle schoolers like it usually did. Dan didn’t think about the crying girl or the vacant desk that everyone avoided. He forgot the weird day, and the fact that a nameless face had vanished from his class.

After all, it wasn’t like it affected him any.

~~~

_Ten Years Later_

Dan threw up a middle finger at Brian as he took a swig of the cheap beer Barry had brought with him over to his apartment. “Shut the fuck up. We both know that girl was totally into me.”

Brian laughed from his seat on Dan’s couch, flicking through a few channels before settling on the Giants game playing. “Sure, Dan. What was her name, then?”

“Can both of you shut up?” Barry’s amused tone belied his words. “Some of us actually care about our midterms.”

Dan jumped onto the couch, settling between his friends as he eyed the score on TV. “You’ll be fine, Barry. Besides, just think of it this way: only one semester left and we’re graduates!”

“And what productive members of society we’ll be,” Barry deadpanned, flipping a page in his textbook. “Brian’s a genius already, why don’t you pester him since he doesn’t have to study?”

Brian flipped Barry off as he looked through his phone. “Dan, don’t forget we have that gig tomorrow night. It’ll be fun to perform live again.”

“Forget? It’s all I’ve thought about all week!” Danny laughed, cheering as the Giants scored a touchdown. “It’s likely to be way more interesting than physics,” he added, not being able to resist throwing a jab at Brian.

Before he could retort, the trio heard a small knock at the door. Dan’s eyebrows lifted, and he had a mini staring contest with Brian before finally conceding–Brian always won staring contests–and going to answer it.

He opened the door to be met with a skinny guy around his age standing there, looking a bit nervous. He blinked at the sight of Dan. “Dan…Avidan?”

Dan’s head tilted. “Yes…?”

The guy licked his lips, seeming to try to make up his mind about something, before finally sighing. “Figures. You’re still as lanky and awkward as you were back then.”

Dan’s eyebrows creased slightly. “I’m sorry, have we met?”

“Right. I’m Ross. Ross O’Donovan,” the guy said, holding out a hand. The name chimed a small bell of recognition somewhere in the back of Dan’s brain.

“Ross? As in Ross from high school?” Dan asked, shaking his hand. “I kinda remember you. You stuck plastic forks all over the football field right before the homecoming game junior year.”

Ross grinned, preening a bit. “And the teachers never caught me. It’s good to see you again, even if we only spoke when you wanted notes from Mr. Green’s algebra class.”

 _Ah. That’s right._ Dan vaguely recalled an even skinnier boy who was always doodling in the margins of his papers sitting next to him in math. “You made those funny sketches of Mean Green.”

Ross looked proud. “That’s right.”

“Dan, who’s at the door?” Dan turned to see Brian, and Brian’s eyes zipped past him to settle on Ross. He looked surprised. “Ross? The transfer student back in like, sixth grade?”

“Wow, long time no see, Brian,” Ross greeted. “You’re the only reason I passed chemistry junior year. Meant to thank you for that, by the way.”

Brian waved it off. “What brings you here? I haven’t seen you since graduation.”

Ross’s smile wavered and fell. He looked at his shoes, then back up. “I, uh…can I come in?”

“Oh! Yeah, of course, dude.” Dan opened the door a bit more as Ross stepped inside. “Want anything to drink? We’ve got a friend over right now.”

Barry walked over, no doubt curious from all the noise. “Hey.”

“Ross, this is Barry. Barry, this is Ross, mine and Brian’s friend from high school,” Dan introduced them, and hellos were exchanged.

The small party moved to the living room, where they chatted about high school memories and Dan told how he and Barry were roommates freshman year of college and had become good friends after that. Brian recounted embarrassing stories about Dan from school that sent Ross and Barry into gales of laughter while Dan protested.

As the laughter died down, Dan looked back at Ross. “So, how’d you track us down, anyway? You can’t be here just to remember old times. Brian and I hardly knew you back in high school.”

Ross’s hands twisted together in his lap. He bit his lip, then blurted: “Do you guys remember Arin Hanson?”

Dan blinked, rolling that name around in his head but coming up empty. He shook his head. “Arin? Did he go to high school with us?”

“No,” Ross mumbled, refusing to look up. “But he was in our class in sixth grade. When I first transferred. I sat next to him.”

Dan tried to put together the scene from his middle school days, but he really couldn’t remember an Arin. “Did he leave the school? Move away? He couldn’t have gone to high school with us. I don’t remember him.”

Ross looked up, and Dan was taken aback by the sadness in his eyes. “You really don’t remember? Arin disappearing one day during sixth grade?”

Brian spoke up. “Now that you mention it, I kind of remember a brown-haired guy that just stopped showing up one day. I never really spoke to him, though.”

Try as Dan might, he failed to recall a face, but he started to remember an odd day in middle school. “That’s right. Everyone was acting weird all day. I sorta remember that.”

“I-I was friends with Arin,” Ross said quietly.  “We took art together. He was a good guy. Kind of quiet. He made some really awesome art. He was really funny, too.”

“What’s your point?” Brian asked. “Dan and I didn’t know the guy.”

Ross swallowed. “Arin just…stopped coming to school. There was a rumor he’d died, and everyone started acting like he had. I remember another friend of Arin’s cried all day when she heard.” Ross paused, lost in memories. “But I refused to believe that. I went to Arin’s house. I found out the truth. Arin had been in a terrible car accident, but he wasn’t dead. He was in a coma.”

Dan’s breath caught, not realizing how caught up in the story he was. “What happened to him?”

“He woke up after two weeks,” Ross recalled. “I missed a lot of school. I was elated when I found out he was awake. I ran to the hospital right after school to say hi to Arin, but…” his face darkened. “Something had happened to him.”

Brian and Dan exchanged glances.

“He wouldn’t speak. The doctors told his parents that was normal for recovering patients. Said it could be a result of the coma or his PTSD from the accident. Apparently it was pretty horrible and Arin was conscious through most of it.” Ross’s mouth tightened. “But it was more than that.

“Arin seemed listless and without drive for anything. He didn’t talk. He didn’t look at anyone. He just accepted the things around him and made no effort to participate. It was like he forgot how to care about things.” Ross exhaled. “He hasn’t said a word since then.”

“You mean, he’s still mute?” Dan asked, amazed. “Does he go to school?”

“No,” Ross answered, fiddling with his hands. “He…the only thing he cares about doing is drawing. That’s all he does. He creates art. Of the weirdest things. He won’t let anyone into his art room. He won’t even let Suzy in there.” Ross sighed. “He’s actually very interesting once you get to know him, even if he doesn’t speak. There’s something…different about him. Like he knows more than we do. I can’t explain it. You have to see for yourselves.”

Dan met Brian’s gaze. “For ourselves? What do Brian and I have to do with this?”

“Last week,” Ross hesitated. “Last week, Arin walked over to Suzy and me and dropped a yearbook in front of us. He was obviously very excited about something. He pointed at…at Dan’s picture in my high school yearbook.” Ross’s eyes flicked to Dan, then back to his lap. “He wanted to see you. Why, I have no idea. I’m sure he doesn’t remember you from middle school, or he would’ve brought you up sooner. But when he saw your picture, for whatever reason, he got really excited.”

“So you came to ask me to meet him,” Dan supplied, a feeling of excitement growing inside his chest. “Sounds pretty wild.”

Ross looked up. “I don’t have the slightest clue why your picture excited Arin so much. I don’t know why he wants to meet you. Hell, I hardly knew you even though we went through middle and high school together. But Arin…it’s unusual to see him care so much about anything besides his art. And we don’t even get to see most of it. I don’t know why he wants to meet you, but if it’s that important to him…” Ross’s shoulders hunched. “I’d really appreciate it if you took the time to talk to him.”

Dan didn’t even have to think about that one. “Of course I’ll meet him! The guy sounds fucking rad! There must be a reason he wants to meet me. Just give me a time and place and I’ll be there.”

Ross’s face lit up, and Brian interjected. “I’d like to be there too, if that’s okay.”

“Sure, I mean, the more the merrier, right?” Ross laughed, but there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice. His eyes flicked to Barry, who was watching them all with interest.

As they discussed where to meet that Saturday, Dan felt his curiosity washing over him. Try as he might, he couldn’t recall the face of the boy in the empty desk. It had been some time, after all.

But now this mysterious stranger was calling him, and he’d be damned if he wouldn’t get to the bottom of all this.

He met Brian’s gaze as they spoke, and Brian gave him a slight nod. Dan smiled.

He was ready to meet this Arin Hanson.


	2. Chapter 2

Dan’s eyes scanned the neat garden in the front of the house as Brian knocked on the door.

Barry had asked to attend, insisting (at Dan and Brian’s teasing) that it had _nothing to do_ with how cute Ross was, and rather because he was invested in why Arin wanted to meet Dan.

“Nice place,” Dan murmured just as the door swung open to reveal a pretty woman with long black hair. She looked vaguely familiar, and then it clicked.

“Suzy? From high school?” Brian voiced Dan’s thoughts, and the woman smiled.

“That’s me. It’s good to see you guys again.” She shook Dan and Brian’s hands, politely introduced herself to Barry, and invited them inside.

“Ross, Holly, and I live here with Arin,” she explained as they entered. “It’s a good way to keep an eye on Arin and split up living expenses.”

Dan noticed how tidy and tastefully decorated the interior was, then nearly laughed when he saw the taxidermy hanging in the living room. There were all sorts of odd things littered about, most noticeably the extensive video game collection against the far wall.

“That’s Ross and Arin’s collection,” Suzy laughed, waving at them to sit. “Although Holly and I like playing, too. Wait here, Holly’s out right now, but Ross should be here soon.”

Suzy left to presumably find Ross, and Dan noted how homey and comfortable the house was. It held good vibes.

“So I guess Arin does commission artwork for a living?” Brian asked Dan in a low tone. “He works from home?”

“Ross mentioned he actually made a good living off commissions,” Dan answered quietly. “He must be pretty good, and popular. At least, he seems to pay his living expenses.”

Brian nodded as Ross and Suzy entered, Barry perking up as he greeted Ross. Ross welcomed them, but there was an edge to his voice–a certain nervousness that hadn’t been there before.

“Arin’s holed up in his art room,” Ross said, offering a stilted smile. “Sometimes he does that. I want you guys to understand.” Ross hesitated. “Arin is a perfectly normal person. I was afraid I made him seem like this kid we all babysit, but that isn’t it at all. He’s an adult who works, makes good money, and he’s funny and smart and whatever else. We all see him just like we’d see the rest of our friends. It’s just–he doesn’t talk. That’s the only thing. But that doesn’t change how we see him.”

Suzy nodded, and Ross continued.

“I don’t want you guys to expect this weird, lost soul or whatever the fuck. Arin’s a normal guy. He just does some odd things sometimes, that’s all. But that’s just who he is.” Ross bit his lip. “Does that make sense?”

The trio nodded, and Ross relaxed. “Uh, I guess, I’ll go get him.”

Ross left, and Suzy wrung her hands together, obviously nervous but she smiled. “You guys want snacks or drinks? I could get us some soda.”

Because she looked so stressed, Dan accepted, and Barry followed suit while Brian declined. Suzy practically sprinted to the kitchen, and Dan’s eyes flicked over to Brian, who was frowning.

“She’s scared.”

Dan licked his lips. “She’s nervous. I guess this isn’t normal behavior for Arin.”

Brian nodded absently, but then Ross’s voice spoke from the doorway.

“Arin, these–these are my friends from high school, Dan and Brian, and their friend, Barry. Guys, this is Arin.”

Dan turned and was struck by the man standing in the doorway. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but it wasn’t this. Arin was a sturdy man with long brown hair and inquisitive brown eyes. His head was tilted slightly, studying the trio with a blank face. He was barefoot, wearing comfortable sweatpants and a T-shirt.

Arin raised his hand and waved, and Dan choked out a hello while Brian got up to shake Arin’s hand, studying him with his steely blue eyes. “I’m Brian. It’s good to meet you, Arin.”

Arin accepted the handshake and shook. Brian seemed pleased with Arin’s handshake, finally smiling. “And I’m sure you recognize my friend, Dan.”

Arin’s eyes moved past Brian to settle on Dan, who felt his throat close at all the emotions swirling in Arin’s eyes. It was over in a flash, but then Arin moved past Brian to stand in front of Dan.

Dan quickly stood, feeling he should say something. “Uh. Hey, Arin. Nice to meet you.”

Arin’s lips pressed together, and he looked conflicted for a moment before reaching forward to give Dan a big hug. Surprised, Dan reflexively hugged him back, but noticed Ross and Brian’s confused expressions.

Arin drew back after only a couple seconds, but now he was smiling. He patted Dan’s shoulder, then took a step back to sit in an armchair opposite Dan.

Ross cleared his throat. “Anyway, uh, thanks for coming over, guys.”

An awkward silence stretched for a moment before Suzy re-entered with a plate of snacks and some sodas for everyone. “Oh, hey Arin. I got you a sparkling water.”

Arin smiled at her and accepted the cup, giving her hand a squeeze.

She smiled back. “You’re welcome.”

Suzy handed out the sodas, moving to sit on a wooden chair beside Arin. The only betrayal of her nerves was her foot tapping quietly on the floor. Dan took a sip of his soda, not really tasting it.

Brian broke the silence in his usual tactless manner. “So Arin, why did you want to meet Dan?”

Arin set his cup down, and Dan was about to nudge Brian when Arin shook his head, nodding at Dan.

Dan looked from Brian to Arin. “I don’t understand.”

Ross spoke up. “He wants to tell you something, Dan.”

“I–”

“Just you.”

Arin nodded in agreement before standing, gesturing at Dan to follow.

Dan looked around at the people gathered around, unsure. “Where are we…?”

“Go on, Dan.” Brian tilted his head. “We’ll wait. I’m sure whatever it is, it’s important. You need to go.”

Barry nodded in agreement, and Dan slowly stood, following Arin out of the living room and up the stairs.

Arin didn’t make any indication as to where they were headed, but when he reached a door at the end of the hall he hesitated. He looked at Dan, and smiled.

Dan couldn’t help but to smile back. “Okay. So what’s up?”

Arin bit his lip, then pushed the door open silently, gesturing for Dan to enter.

Dan felt his heartbeat accelerate, feeling like he was about to see something very important, before entering the room.

His breath caught.

The walls were covering in paintings. Paintings of a place Dan had never been before, but seemed familiar all the same. An office, decorated with Japanese items, a large room with computers and desks, a living-room-like area with a large television.

But most of all, a square room with a TV and various recording equipment stationed around it. In the center of the room was a couch with microphones hanging over the back. In the back of the room, a large cabinet stood.

Dan reached forward and touched the painting, feeling an odd emotion running through him. _Longing._ Like he missed that room, even though he’d never been there before.

A soft touch on his shoulder made him turn around, and Arin motioned to a large painting. Dan swallowed.

 _He_ was in that painting.

It was a painting of him and Arin sitting on the couch in that square room. They were watching Mario on the TV screen with the recording equipment on. A controller was in Arin’s hands, and he was yelling as Dan had his head thrown back in laughter.

Dan didn’t register how choked up he was until he tried to speak. “This…this place. That room. Where is it?”

Arin shook his head.

“All these paintings.” Dan paused. “This big office. The desks. The kitchen, the bar, everything. It’s all in the same building, isn’t it? And that recording room, with me and you in it. Have we been there before?”

Arin didn’t say anything, staring at Dan with sad eyes.

“Arin.” Dan sounded desperate. “Where is that room? What is this?”

Arin looked back at the painting, his eyes far away. Wordlessly, he moved to uncover another small painting. On it was a logo Dan had never seen before. It read, “Game Grumps,” and there were mini cartoon heads of him and Arin on either side.

“Game Grumps?” Dan asked softly. “What’s that?”

Arin wiped his face, and Dan belatedly realized he was crying. “Arin, are you okay? What is all this? These places…that room…that logo…”

“You said it,” Arin whispered.

Dan felt a shock go through his entire body at the sound of Arin’s hoarse, misused voice. “Arin, you…you spoke.”

“You said…Game Grumps,” Arin whispered. _“Finally._ I don’t…”

Arin coughed, and Dan placed a hand on his shoulder. “Arin, what is all this? Can you explain? Because I’m really fucking confused.”

Arin sat on the floor, wiping his face. “Sorry. I don’t…I didn’t know how else to explain what I saw. So I drew it.”

Dan sat opposite him, waiting.

Arin took a deep breath.

“Ten years ago, when I was in that car accident, I was in a coma for a long time. But while I was, I…I saw things. Things that to this day, I can’t really explain.

“I saw myself, as an adult, playing video games with a man I didn’t recognize. I walked through the halls of a place I’d never been before. That logo hung in the main area. _Game Grumps._ It meant nothing to me, and yet…I’ve never forgotten it.

“But what I remembered most was watching my adult self playing games in a recording room with another man. We sat there for hours, playing shitty games.” Arin smiled, looking lost. “When I woke up, I found that I couldn’t speak. It felt like karma, in a weird way, after spending so long watching my adult self yell at a screen for ages. And then I couldn’t even speak.

“I never told anyone about what I saw. It confused me. I saw other people in the space, too. Adult Ross. Adult Suzy. Other people I didn’t know. But what haunted me the most was that man I was playing games with. I thought I was going crazy.

“So I painted it. I couldn’t tell anyone, so I painted the places I’d seen. I painted the man and all the rooms I’d visited. I don’t know if I saw the future, or an alternate timeline, or whatever the fuck. I know this sounds fucking crazy. But all I knew was that I needed to find the man in my vision.”

Arin stopped to cough, and Dan’s eyes were wide. “Me?”

Arin nodded. “Then I saw Ross’s yearbook, and there you were. I couldn’t believe it. I tried to convey how important it was that I met you. They understood. For whatever reason, I knew that _you_ had to be the person that saw my paintings. You had to know what I’d seen. I don’t know what it means. I don’t have the faintest fucking idea why I couldn’t speak for ten years until I met you. But it happened. And now you know.”

Dan absorbed this information, digesting all that Arin had told him. “So…what _was_ Game Grumps?”

Arin shrugged. “I don’t know. But those images have never been able to leave me. I dream about it every night. I was going crazy. I had to tell someone. But for whatever reason, I knew that person had to be you. When I saw Brian and Barry today, I was shocked. They were there, too. In my dream. In these offices.”

Dan gazed around again, at all the intricate details of the rooms. They definitely seemed…familiar. In a weird way.

“That’s…really freaky, man.”

“You’re telling me? I lived without a voice for ten years.”

“Fair enough.” Dan grinned, and Arin managed a weak laugh. “So this is why you had to meet me?”

“Ross told me you were in my sixth grade class,” Arin said. “I didn’t remember you. But after that accident…without either of us realizing it, we became very important to each other.”

“That’s pretty wild,” Dan murmured.

Arin laughed, a little on edge, and Dan felt a rush of sympathy for the man. Living for ten years without a voice, only holding onto the vague memory of a dream he had during a coma, trying to find a man he didn’t even know to release him from this hell. “It’s weird, you know, but I kind of feel like I’ve been there before, too.”

Arin caught his gaze. “Really?”

“These…this is all familiar.” Dan waved around the room. “That room. You laughing. It all seems so…natural. Like it’s happened before. Who knows? Maybe you saw a past timeline of us.”

Arin rubbed his temples. “I’ve been living with these images haunting me for ten years. I need to do something about it, dude.”

He sounded so tired that Dan stood, helping him up. “Then let’s do it. Whatever Game Grumps is, it’s important. So important it carried over to us in this life. We should try to figure out how to bring it back.”

Arin tilted his head. “So you believe in that past life stuff?”

“I don’t really have a better explanation,” Dan shrugged. “Besides, if it impacted you like this for so long…we must really need to do something about it. Hell, just meeting me brought your voice back. Sure, it’s freaky, and I don’t know what any of this is any more than you, but we’ll figure it out.”

Arin’s eyes slitted. “But…you don’t even know me.”

“You know…” Dan met Arin’s eyes. “For some reason, I feel like I actually really do.”

Arin smiled, finally, accepting Dan’s help to stand. “Okay, then. Let’s do it.”

They left the art room, resolutely walking to the living room to tell their story. Dan squeezed Arin’s hand in comfort.

As Suzy embraced Arin, crying, listening to his soft voice, Dan felt something rising in his chest. Arin and he had been destined to be nothing more than classmates, two faces in the class that the other would forget.

But the universe, for whatever reason, hadn’t allowed that. It had refused to let Arin and Dan not meet each other.

Now, looking at Ross excitedly chattering to Arin and Brian watching interestedly, Dan thought he’d never see a stranger in the same way again.

Arin wasn’t destined to be a face Dan would forget. No matter what, he could never be a casual face in the crowd.

And Dan wouldn’t forget him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check me out at my tumblr, writergrump!

**Author's Note:**

> Check me out at my tumblr, writergrump!


End file.
